BARNSLEY 1-2 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Westwood,Mifsud (Doyle 86),Fox,Dann,Ward,Tabb,Beuzelin,Gray (McKenzie 78),Gunnarsson,Eastwood,Morrison (Simpson 85)
SNU Turner,Ireland
Barnsley
Steele,Foster,Moorer,SouZa,Hassell (Odejayi 85),Devaney,Leon, Howard, Teale (Rigters 73),Hume (sent off 79),Macken SNU Mostto,Atkinson,
Butterfield
HT BFC 1-1 CCFC FT BFC 1-2 CCFC
Ref S.J.Bratt Att 12,987
Goals Freddie Eastwood (12),Brian Howard (43), Julian Gray (67)
Booked Westwood,Morrison, Hume x2 Foster,Howard,McKenzie
Man Of The Match Freddie Eastwood took all the votes.
____
CITY SUPPORT
A good turn out of around 1250. Plenty of Northern based supporters as well as those from the Midlands
____________
GROUND
I always enjoy a trip to Oakwell. A pleasant ground, the police and stewards leave you to watch the match and the local sports centre provides a watering hole in close range.
_____________________
STARTING FORM
Chris Coleman lost Stephen Wright to injury before the game and had to field a side which was unbalanced. Jay Tabb,Julian Gray, Keiran Westwood,Elliott Ward all returned.
___________
Only seven times since 1919 have the Sky Blues opened with three victories and the third win in a week came with a 2-1 win at Barnsley.
An injury to Stephen Wright meant that Chris Coleman had to change the team and for the opening ten minutes, the Sky Blues took their time to settle.
Barnsley, who fielded former Sky Blues Luke Steele and Martin Devaney, made the most of a disjointed midfeld.
With less than twenty seconds gone,Jay Tabb was forced to make a diving header to clear for a corner.
Keiren Westwood was again in fine form and he pushed away a cross and then got down to his right to concede a sixth minute corner.
Then in the 12th minute, it all came right when Eastwood played the ball out to Gray on the left. It fell to Mifsud on the right who centred for Eastwood to volley into the net.
There had already been plenty of adulation for the Welshman and this continued as the game progressed. Various songs were tried out by the City support in praise of the striker was causing the home defence plenty of concern.
Eastwood was initially involved as Elliott Ward was left unmarked at the back at to power a header from a Fox free kick onto the foot of the far post in the eighteenth minute.
Why we were given a referee from Birmingham was debated by much of the City support, who lambasted the hapless Brummie, when Eastwood was clearly shoved but no penalty was given.
Another target for the boo boys was Leicester Reject Iain Hume. The striker who looked like he would not get in a Midland Alliance side never mind a Championship team, was abused every time he touched the ball (which wasn't that often).
Eastwood got booked for dissent before makeshift right back Aron Gunnarsson ran for thirty yards to get in a shot which Steele just managed to stop.
There were plenty of good things in the first half from City and as many bad things.
What was really bad was the defending which led to the Tykes equalising in the 43rd minute. Hassell crossed and five players inside the penalty area stood and watched as the ball fell to Brian Howard on the edge of the area to drive home.
Chris Coleman must have had a right go at the break as City came out on the attack.
Attacking the end where the City support were housed, Gunnarsson won an early corner and then a neat 47th minute flick from Mifsud went across the area to Eastwood. The striker hit it well but Steele reactly superbly to block.
Two more corners for the Sky Blues followed with the second seeing Elliott Ward shoved over by former Baggie Darren Moore and seconds later, Jay Tabb was hacked down inside the area but Mr Bratt was having none of it.
Hume was booked for throwing the ball away, much to the delight of the City support,some of whom were calling for the introduction of Leon McKenzie to replace Julian Gray.
Those stood up the back at the stand that City were attacking had their words firmly rammed down their throats when Gray recovered from a bad miss to give Coventry a 67th minute lead.
Freddie Eastwood dispossed his marker and played in Julian Gray on the left of the area. The winger got the ball on the right and curled it into the bottom corner.
Again the City support went ballistic as the goal put City top of the league. Gray who was badly fouled in the 70th minute by the uncautioned Foster, was replaced by McKenzie in the 78th minute.
A minute later and Mifsud needed treatment as Hume who had already been cautioned, took out Mifsud's middle wicket. A second yellow and then a red was produced. Hume initially refused to leave the field of play. When he did he gave a sarcastic clap to the City support and then raced down the tunnel as some City supporters dived towards him.
Foster finally got cautioned for a foul on McKenzie who, somehow got ended up in the referees book for the second week running,
Clinton Morrison and Michael Mifsud left to a standing ovation when they were replaced and on the final whistle,the rest of the Sky Blues team were really applauded off for their efforts in getting City to the top of the league.
Team
Westwood,Mifsud (Doyle 86),Fox,Dann,Ward,Tabb,Beuzelin,Gray (McKenzie 78),Gunnarsson,Eastwood,Morrison (Simpson 85)
SNU Turner,Ireland
Barnsley
Steele,Foster,Moorer,SouZa,Hassell (Odejayi 85),Devaney,Leon, Howard, Teale (Rigters 73),Hume (sent off 79),Macken SNU Mostto,Atkinson,
Butterfield
HT BFC 1-1 CCFC FT BFC 1-2 CCFC
Ref S.J.Bratt Att 12,987
Goals Freddie Eastwood (12),Brian Howard (43), Julian Gray (67)
Booked Westwood,Morrison, Hume x2 Foster,Howard,McKenzie
Man Of The Match Freddie Eastwood took all the votes.
____
CITY SUPPORT
A good turn out of around 1250. Plenty of Northern based supporters as well as those from the Midlands
____________
GROUND
I always enjoy a trip to Oakwell. A pleasant ground, the police and stewards leave you to watch the match and the local sports centre provides a watering hole in close range.
_____________________
STARTING FORM
Chris Coleman lost Stephen Wright to injury before the game and had to field a side which was unbalanced. Jay Tabb,Julian Gray, Keiran Westwood,Elliott Ward all returned.
___________
Only seven times since 1919 have the Sky Blues opened with three victories and the third win in a week came with a 2-1 win at Barnsley.
An injury to Stephen Wright meant that Chris Coleman had to change the team and for the opening ten minutes, the Sky Blues took their time to settle.
Barnsley, who fielded former Sky Blues Luke Steele and Martin Devaney, made the most of a disjointed midfeld.
With less than twenty seconds gone,Jay Tabb was forced to make a diving header to clear for a corner.
Keiren Westwood was again in fine form and he pushed away a cross and then got down to his right to concede a sixth minute corner.
Then in the 12th minute, it all came right when Eastwood played the ball out to Gray on the left. It fell to Mifsud on the right who centred for Eastwood to volley into the net.
There had already been plenty of adulation for the Welshman and this continued as the game progressed. Various songs were tried out by the City support in praise of the striker was causing the home defence plenty of concern.
Eastwood was initially involved as Elliott Ward was left unmarked at the back at to power a header from a Fox free kick onto the foot of the far post in the eighteenth minute.
Why we were given a referee from Birmingham was debated by much of the City support, who lambasted the hapless Brummie, when Eastwood was clearly shoved but no penalty was given.
Another target for the boo boys was Leicester Reject Iain Hume. The striker who looked like he would not get in a Midland Alliance side never mind a Championship team, was abused every time he touched the ball (which wasn't that often).
Eastwood got booked for dissent before makeshift right back Aron Gunnarsson ran for thirty yards to get in a shot which Steele just managed to stop.
There were plenty of good things in the first half from City and as many bad things.
What was really bad was the defending which led to the Tykes equalising in the 43rd minute. Hassell crossed and five players inside the penalty area stood and watched as the ball fell to Brian Howard on the edge of the area to drive home.
Chris Coleman must have had a right go at the break as City came out on the attack.
Attacking the end where the City support were housed, Gunnarsson won an early corner and then a neat 47th minute flick from Mifsud went across the area to Eastwood. The striker hit it well but Steele reactly superbly to block.
Two more corners for the Sky Blues followed with the second seeing Elliott Ward shoved over by former Baggie Darren Moore and seconds later, Jay Tabb was hacked down inside the area but Mr Bratt was having none of it.
Hume was booked for throwing the ball away, much to the delight of the City support,some of whom were calling for the introduction of Leon McKenzie to replace Julian Gray.
Those stood up the back at the stand that City were attacking had their words firmly rammed down their throats when Gray recovered from a bad miss to give Coventry a 67th minute lead.
Freddie Eastwood dispossed his marker and played in Julian Gray on the left of the area. The winger got the ball on the right and curled it into the bottom corner.
Again the City support went ballistic as the goal put City top of the league. Gray who was badly fouled in the 70th minute by the uncautioned Foster, was replaced by McKenzie in the 78th minute.
A minute later and Mifsud needed treatment as Hume who had already been cautioned, took out Mifsud's middle wicket. A second yellow and then a red was produced. Hume initially refused to leave the field of play. When he did he gave a sarcastic clap to the City support and then raced down the tunnel as some City supporters dived towards him.
Foster finally got cautioned for a foul on McKenzie who, somehow got ended up in the referees book for the second week running,
Clinton Morrison and Michael Mifsud left to a standing ovation when they were replaced and on the final whistle,the rest of the Sky Blues team were really applauded off for their efforts in getting City to the top of the league.